Sharla Stenersen Photography

baby scarlett

2012-01-23T22:31:00.000-08:00

The "M" family has added a new member, meet little Miss Scarlett. She was a precious dolly during her shoot (do I say that about all the newborns I photograph? If so it's always true! I LOVE them and their precious newness). Lucky for me Scarlett's Mama has a fabulous sense of style so there was no end to the options for posing and backdrops around their beautiful home.

Bethany & Tyler

2012-01-17T14:33:00.000-08:00

Bethany & Tyler were married on a cold, gray,and drizzly Saturday in January. She toughed out the weather in her sleeveless dress for some photos in the park. They turned out beautiful and I think the gray skies added a little bit of drama to the photos.

paper airplanes

2011-12-27T21:48:00.000-08:00

Me and Karen collaborated on this fun and boyish paper airplane shoot. It is always fun to use my imagination and create something from an image I see in my mind. I am a absolute failure at making paper airplanes so luckily Karen was able to make all these:)

She also made this cute love pendant. Love Rowen's little face peeking through the v and the e...

Christmas photos 2011

2011-12-20T23:00:00.000-08:00

My family is on the blog today! I put a little more effort than usual into our family photos this year. After I had put together our outfits (one of my favorite parts of a shoot!).We packed up the kids, grabbed my little sister to help us out and headed out in search of snow. I adjusted my camera settings and handed the camera over to my sister Melea to shoot the whole family together. I discovered I am no where near as patient and calm as I thought I would be about getting a family photo! Even though I know they ALWAYS turn out best when everyone is having fun and parents are extra patient with the kiddos...oops:)

Me and the love of my life. Let me just brag a bit about this guy. He is a full time employee, a full time student, a awesome hands on father and a loving sweet, and funny husband. He does this all with no complaining and I don't think I have ever seen him stressed out (even during finals week!)

My older sister Tristi (who designs our Christmas cards) surprised me with this beautiful scrapbook of all the photos we took as a Christmas gift! I LOVE it! Such a thoughtful gift. It made me tear up a little when I opened it.

pink...

2011-11-30T19:51:00.000-08:00

Just finished up this pretty little shoot for Dandelion Daydreaming. I'm loving all the pink girliness!

Decorating for Christmas

2011-11-28T21:02:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is over I can finally feel free to deck out my house in all things Christmas! I love it I haven't (yet) gone as overboard as previous years but there's still time. I love finding new ways to use old ornaments and decorations. My swag of white berries on the fireplace is actually a wreath (unwound) that hangs on my wall year round. Last year I revamped my ornaments by covering them in sheet music. I also went to Targets after Christmas sale and bought a ton of decorations in my new theme of gold and cream for 75% off. I had forgotten all about it until I opened up my Christmas bin to find all the new ornaments!

I love how my mirror card hanger thingy (for lack of a better word! It is just twine strung in a zig-zag over a mirror) turned out. Especially since in the reflection you can see the back of the cards that are printed on both sides. I love double sided cards but hate how once there hung you can't see the back. By the way you should all feel bad for me that I don't have a ton of cards yet so please send me some;)

close up of the details.

family fun

2011-11-21T12:21:00.000-08:00

Isn't this a fun, original idea for a family shoot? Tanaisa wanted a original photo shoot that showed how they are as a family. Since they all happened to have Adidas sweatsuits and love to play together this is what she came up with. I love the action shots and the kids had a blast running around kicking soccer balls, and playing on the bleachers at the high school. I think it shows in pictures if the kids are having fun.

Snow day

2011-11-20T18:26:00.000-08:00

My sis Melea, don't you just love her outfit? She borrows my clothes and puts them together way cuter than I ever could! It's kinda not fair.

I love shooting in the snow I've decided. It makes a perfect natural reflector to brighten up faces, its pretty, and it looks dramatic in photos.

the "J" family

2011-11-16T16:13:00.000-08:00

"K" family

2011-11-12T15:04:00.000-08:00

Wow! You would think photos for a family with eight children would be total chaos, but nope these kids are so sweet! And things went so smoothly in a short amount of time. It took a little over a half hour to get these photos and while reviewing them I noticed towards the end a lot of wandering eyes and pasted on smiles. It's always best with kids to keep things short and sweet :)

The "B" family...

2011-11-07T20:55:00.000-08:00

Love these adorable girls! I have done their photos for the past few years (here and here) and they are still as sweet as can be.

Lovin little miss serious Aubrey in this family shot:)

jeff

2011-11-04T22:33:00.000-07:00

Well wedding season is winding down and now its time for seniors and families! I love the excitement of weddings but it does feel kinda nice to get back to normal life and slow down a bit :)

Jeff met me at my in-laws beautiful home for his senior session.

He brought his toys along....

His sister came to for a few photos with her little brother.

Chris & Shana

2011-10-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of going to Redmond a few weekends back for Chris and Shanas beautiful wedding. Collin came with me and we had a belated anniversary weekend. It was so fun and the area is so beautiful! Shana's wedding was full of sweet homemade touches thanks to her very talented (and fellow blogger) mother Karen.

angela

2011-10-25T20:16:00.000-07:00

We shot Angela's photos in downtown Vancouver. I love shooting downtown there is so many different locations for a variety of looks. Check out Angelas long, gorgeous hair! She is studying to be a hair stylist and you can tell she knows what she is doing:)

jacob & danielle wedding

2011-10-24T23:33:00.000-07:00

When I first met Jacob and Danielle I immediately noticed there laid-backness. I loved it, they were so fun and sweet to shoot. I knew there wedding was going to have the same feel to it. They had a sweet, intimate, rustic, un-pretentious, backyard wedding. There were so many tender moments that I am so thankful I got to capture....

There is a story behind this hat (that I'm not going to tell because I'm afraid I don't remember it exactly right and I would hate to mess up the details) it belonged to Jacob's father who passed away a few years ago. I am so glad we got a photo of him wearing it.

During the ceremony Jacob and Danielle didn't have there backs to the guests which was neat because I got to shoot from a different view point then I normally do.

crista

2011-10-18T20:26:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun doing Crista's senior photos. We hit up all my fav spots in Ridgefield and I love the look we came up with.

Isn't she adorable? I love that long, sleek hair of hers! I have always dreamed of long, straight hair but my wild, wavy mop is pretty tough to tame:)

Pierce

2011-10-15T21:04:00.000-07:00

Meet baby Pierce he is little miss Brielle's baby brother. He is such a little boy all the way (and so laid back). Even when we stuck him outside in a bowl on top of a scale for his pea in a pod photo he didn't make a fuss (well he did pee a little but that's to be expected).

Proud big sister....

My sister Katie made the hat and the pea pod photo prop ( yikes, try say that three times fast!). Check out her Etsy site here.

ally & dustin's wedding

2011-10-05T22:34:00.000-07:00

I have never been to a wedding like Ally & Dustin's...come to think of it I have never met a girl quite like Ally either. Fun, loud, carefree, sweet, creative, beautiful and unique. Yep that describes her, actually it also describes her wedding. I had an awesome time! I cried, laughed and of course danced all night (that isn't the norm when I photograph weddings but Ally is my niece)

Some of the details. The wedding was held at my Mother and Father in-laws house (the same place me and Collin got married at). They had just built a brand new barn so the reception was held in that and the ceremony was out in the field facing the pond.

So many talented people ( a lot of Ally's family members) came together to make the day extra special. One of her aunts did the flowers while another Aunt made the beautiful cake.

The inside of the barn. Stunning!

The ceremony started just as the sun was going down. There were candles everywhere. It was so romantic it felt like a fairy tale! While the darkness made it more challenging for photos the effect in person was so beautiful and intimate. I think it being so dark out also cut down on guests taking photos during the ceremony which can ruin a lot of my photos (other peoples flash washing out my pictures, and guests leaning out into the aisle to take photos etc.) so that was a plus for me. Sorry if your one of those shutterbugs at a wedding but I have had countless photos ruined from this. :)

And then we danced all night....Oh and I can't forget the highlight of the evening. The photobooth!

Congratulations Dustin and Ally! I am so beyond happy for you two! I cannot wait to see what God has in store for you as a married couple. And I can't wait to meet the precious little babies you'll someday have (I know I'm rushing things a little but I just think it would be so cool to say I'm a great aunt at 26;)

the "M" family...

2011-09-26T16:30:00.000-07:00

Well it's that time of year again...family photo time! We did these photos on a gorgeous, fall day at their beautiful new home. The kids have grown so much since there last shoot!

Such cute kiddos! I love the mix of patterns in coordinating colors that Mom chose for their outfits.. It gives a lot more interest to the photos than just using one solid color.

Clinton & Melissa part 2

2011-09-19T21:50:00.000-07:00

Here they are all the details and part of the celebration to. Like I said in my first post the details of this wedding were amazing!

This is the wood backdrop they had in front of the ceremony.

One of the cute little vignettes they had set up around the reception.

The boys got a little sidetracked on their way down the aisle but that's ok cause they were too cute for anyone to care...

One of the most touching things I've seen as part of the ceremony. They each washed each others feet. So sweet, and such an awesome reminder to put one another's needs first as they start out their marriage.

I also loved this line they formed as they reached the end of the aisle after the ceremony. They all sang "come thou fount" with the congregation.

Can you guess what happened here?

The End...Actually it's just the beginning:)

Clinton & Melissa part 1

2011-09-16T21:13:00.000-07:00

Part 1: The formals. I hate that word it sounds so stiff but I can't think of a better one..the posed photos? The pre-ceremony photos? The wedding party photos?

I flew across the country all the way to New Hampshire to photograph my cousin Melissa's wedding. I am so glad I did! I got to catch up with all the family members I haven't seen in years and of course visit my old haunts ( I lived in NH until I was eight). You can't drive 5 minutes there without passing a perfect spot for photos. I think that area is a photographers dream! Even though it was a working trip it felt like a nice little break.

Now onto the wedding. I'm not sure if I have ever seen such a well planned out event. So many beautiful details everywhere. Which is why this wedding will take two blog posts, because I love to photograph the details and I got a TON of photos.

Pre-wedding silliness

Zach & Jessica

2011-09-14T22:51:00.000-07:00

A few of my favorites from Zach & Jessica's beautiful wedding back in August (I don't think I've ever taken so long to blog photos but I've been a busy girl!). I traveled to the Tri-cities for the wedding with my sister. My oldest sister lives there so us three girls had an awesome girls weekend together. They did the flowers for the wedding and did an amazing job.Check out the photos below.Between us five girls we have the photography, hair, and flowers covered for weddings. Maybe my youngest sister will decide to become a caterer or wedding cake baker ;)

Anna

2011-08-30T16:47:00.000-07:00

We started with Anna's senior photos at Esther Short Park in Vancouver then made our way down to the water front. By the time we reached the water the sun was just setting making for some beautiful, warm evening light. I'm so going to miss Summer evenings come fall time but I am kinda looking forward to all that fall has to offer! How bout' you?

Jacob & Danielle

2011-08-23T16:28:00.000-07:00

Fun engagement session at Edgefield Mcmennamins! Such a cute and laid back couple...For some reason I thought there matching shoes made a good pic to show off there cute personalities:)

first dance

2011-08-17T21:22:00.000-07:00

I knew I would have more to share from Cole and Telina's wedding! I love these sweet first dance as man and wife photos.

summer fun

2011-08-11T18:16:00.000-07:00

Ahh the fair...Eating elephant ears, milkshakes, french fries, buttery corn on the cob and fried twinkies 'til your stomach hurts.Walking around until your feet ache, roasting in the hot sun and being yelled at by carnies.

I like it in small doses if you can't tell ;)

"Pick a prize any prize!"

Sylvie wanted to go go go. There was so much to see, taste, touch and feel!

Sylvie's goat friend

Pony rides

The main attraction (at least for Kasen) is motocross!

the fair runs till August 15th. Go check it out if you haven't!

shawntel

2011-08-09T13:22:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful niece! Shawntel was a little natural model .She had

her brother and his friend come along to make her smile and I guess they did their job well. :)

cole & telina

2011-08-03T22:30:00.000-07:00

ahhh I'm on a wedding high! I had so much fun shooting Cole and Telina's fun, colorful, hot, beautiful, and fabulous wedding last weekend. It got me so pumped for the weddings I have upcoming. Bring it on! I think it was extra fun cause they are good friends of mine so I got to enjoy the reception with all my friends and shoot them also (with my camera of course). I have WAY too many photos ready to blog so I'm gonna try to whittle it down a bit but I'm not promising anything.;)

girls getting glammed up

Telina and her Mom. Telina's sweet niece Fiona. First dance as husband & wife.

The boys and their cigars

Just warning you I may have to post more later!

wildflowers

2011-07-25T20:07:00.000-07:00

So a while back I got so sick of the tiny little jungle of weeds that was my backyard in a fit of frustration at its ugliness I tore all the weeds up, scattered wild flower seeds and hoped for the best. The space is so small my kids never go back there and no one ever sees it so there was no point in planting grass or doing any real landscaping. Well I peeked back there today and saw all the flowers were in bloom and the colors were gorgeous! I picked a few for my latest garage sale find (a little glass milk bottle) and grabbed my niece Brielle to take some photos of among all the flowers.

The Matson's

2011-07-22T23:22:00.000-07:00

I had the honor of attending the Matson family's reunion to take a giant family photo and also coming up to the family farm to shoot a more formal portrait later.
I met up with Ronda a few days before the shoot to figure out the best locations to use on the family farm, and to discuss outfit ideas. I love the soft neutral color palette they chose I think it goes so well with the country surroundings. A little planning goes a long way! If they had chosen to wear whatever and shoot one quick pose these photos would not have that pretty "portrait" look.

We took this photo to recreate an old photo they had of the family generations back in front of the house in this same pose. I wish I had the old photo to put side by side this one!

The whole family in their reunion tees :)

Walker

2011-07-19T22:48:00.000-07:00

I snapped a few photos of my handsome nephew Walker today,since he needed some updated head shots. He's a great little model isn't he?

Check out that model pose.The kids a pro...

We took these photos at Grandma and Grandpa's house and afterwards got to pick some of Grandpa's delicious raspberries, the sun shone for about half a second and I almost convinced myself maybe it truly was summertime. I am usually not one to complain about all the rain we get here in the pacific northwest but this is getting slightly ridiculous!! I need some sun. stat.

Sylvie and Kasen

2011-07-10T15:02:00.000-07:00

My little girl is growing up too fast! I've been busy with photography and life so I haven't gotten a chance to do some pictures of my kids for awhile. The other night I glanced outside and saw the light was that yummy, delicious, creamy, golden shade. I promptly interrupted her dinner and got her dressed for photos. I also tried to take a few of big brother Kasen but he was to busy to pose for some stinkin' photos ;)

I have tried and tried to no avail to tame that mane. Poor girl. But I am told that my hair looked just like that as a baby (my nickname was dandelion) so hopefully it will grow in super thick like her mamma's one of these days. We were at the grocery store awhile back and I overheard a little girl tell her dad "holy smokes dad look at that babys HUGE mohawk!" I had to chuckle.

Little boys and dirt go hand in hand.

Love those pretty little Edens Bouquet bloomers. I know I've said it before but I will say it again these clothes are awesome for photos!

I had been making a batch of strawberry jam and was giving Sylvie strawberries all day. So that explains the stained red arm!

Dustin & Ally

2011-07-05T22:22:00.000-07:00

Remember my niece Ally? Well she's getting married! Dustin and her make the cutest couple (and take some excellent photos together!).

I LOVE our vintage picnic theme. Ally got that adorable picnic basket at Uncovered Ruby in BG. I have like a million more photos to share but I figured I better be a nice aunt and save some for Ally to show first :)

melea & emily

2011-06-29T15:30:00.000-07:00

If you haven't yet noticed I love my "just because" shoots (so does my sister Melea). I have so much fun setting up the theme, the styling, the hair, the makeup, etc. It's almost like painting a picture you start with an idea and it evolves as you go. This photo shoot didn't actually start out with an idea but as we started throwing outfits together and grabbing random objects around the house (pillows, extra material and so on) everything came together.I love the finished product!

amiah

2011-06-27T22:32:00.000-07:00

We did Amiah's senior photos on her Grandparents property. It was the perfect location for pictures with lots of land, neat textured wood and the perfect look for her country themed shoot.
I used to babysit her when she was just a little girl. I'm not sure how she is graduating high school now when I haven't aged a day past 16??

Such a cute cowgirl!

alabama ray

2011-06-18T17:14:00.000-07:00

Sweet newborn babies...is there anything cuter? Alabama Ray was my guinea pig for a princess and the pea themed shoot. I love how cute it turned out! She was the perfect princess....

Alabama loved the crocheted pouch, I think it made her feel warm and cozy:)

All the crocheted props are made by my sister Katie. Check out her Etsy site.

baby brady...

2011-06-13T21:06:00.000-07:00

Meet baby Brady. He is lucky to have a Daddy who adores him, a big sister who loves him, and a Momma who thinks the world of him. He was such a doll during his photo shoot. At first he felt like showing off and pretending he was way older than he is (silly boy lifted his head and started looking around like a 5 month old) but we took out the blow dryer (set on warm) and he started snoozing and curling up like the newborn he is.

I love this sweet moment amidst the chaos of getting two babies to pose for a family photo.

russ & jemina

2011-06-08T22:16:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad I get to count Jemina as a friend! She's the best kind of friend, the kind you can sit and chat with over coffee while you lose all track of time, the kind that gives unexpected gifts, and she's super creative so it fun to bounce ideas off each other. Her and her husband Russ celebrated there four year wedding anniversary today, and since they had never gotten professional photos together she asked me to shoot some for her. It was important to her to get the photos taken on their anniversary date. Isn't that a neat idea?

Having fun with photoshop graffiti. Jemina had the idea to do their names and wedding date on the wall. While it would've been cool to use actual graffiti (like with spray paint) we weren't quite willing to go as far as defacing property for a photo ;)

Just 'cause

2011-06-04T00:10:00.000-07:00

I had been dreaming up a just-for-fun shoot idea for quite awhile and today I finally decided to grab my little sis and force her to model for me ;). The shoot didn't translate exactly to what I was thinking originally, but I still love the photos nontheless. It's so fun to see the creative process of an idea that grows and changes into something better than you originally imagined.
My original idea came when I was driving down the road one day, out of the corner of my eye I glimpsed the most beautiful little meadow, vibrant green with sunlight streaming through the trees. I wanted to capture the gorgeous bright green color, and the feeling of spring in a photo. I wanted to shoot in the exact spot that I glimpsed that day but it didn't work out so I found a field close to my house. Here are some of my faves from today's shoot....

Eric & Carmen

2011-05-31T22:45:00.000-07:00

We went up to Tri-Cities with my in-laws this weekend to go camping, while we where there I got to shoot this beautiful families photo's. I am loving the outfit choices Carmen chose for her family. The neutral colors went together perfectly and there was enough textures, and differences in the clothing to give the photo some interest. I had just shot the newest addition to the family, Willow Skye's photo's a few weeks earlier and Carmen also wanted some new family photos with baby Willow in them. Here are some of my favorites from our memorial day weekend shoot...

My favorite thing about this photo is that there is nothing fake about it. I told the kiddos to do whatever they wanted and they did what kids do best, be themselves! Jett on the right is playing with a spider, Lars jumped right in between his Mom and Dad, Malle is playing mommy, and two year old Trig is climbing Daddy's legs, while Mom and Dad tune out the chaos around them.

Mom and her girls.

I thought Jett would appreciate me showing you the butterfly he caught.

Zach & Jessica

2011-05-21T20:55:00.000-07:00

Today was the perfect day for Zach and Jessica's engagement shoot. A not too hot, not too cold, just cloudy enough, and most importantly not raining, day. I like to shoot on cloudy days because then I don't have to be so picky about finding areas of open shade ( since I don't usually like to shoot in direct sunlight). I shot the first half of their photo's near Esther Short Park in Vancouver (lucky me the Farmers Market was going on today, so after the shoot I got to check that out) and then we moved onto Officers Row.

What a gorgeous couple hey? I am so looking forward to shooting their wedding this Summer!

willow skye

2011-05-18T21:42:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful baby girl! She was a perfect doll for her photos. She had no problem hanging around in her little pouch ( my sister Katy made the prop). Sweet princess....

This one wasn't posed but I fell in love with it (pluggy in the mouth and all, good thing it was a pretty plug)

Sweet big sister:)

Mayah Elaine

2011-05-16T01:32:00.000-07:00

Meet princess Mayah Elaine! Mayah was born to her proud, loving parents Tuesday May, 10th 2011, at home.I had the honor of photographing her birth ( how did I get so lucky?). Mayah gave us a bit of a scare and made quite the dramatic entrance! She had some trouble breathing at first, but from what I understand she is doing fine now and her Mommy and Daddy get to take her home from the hospital soon. Praise the Lord!

    For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
                                   Psalms 139:13.

Love this verse. I know Mayah was created by God for a reason, as we all are and I cannot wait to see what He will do in this special little girl's life.

Mayah's birth was the first one I have photographed, as kind of a trial run. Birth photography is definitely something I want to offer but I still need to work out the details of how many hours to offer, what to charge, how many I can take on a month etc. I will be posting a new page on my blog once I figure out the details. I'm so excited about this, I love being at births and if I could actually do it as part of my job? Well that'd be very cool. :)

Gabe

2011-05-09T00:14:00.000-07:00

Photogenic looks must run in this family, I have done Gabe's sister Bethany's photos also and both of them are so easy to shoot.

While senior girls are fun to shoot (the outfit changes, the makeup checks, the giggles and fun poses) senior guy shoots are so chill. Gabe's photos took a little over a half hour and one shirt change and we had what we needed:)

Congratulations on your graduation Gabe!

Crystal

2011-04-25T20:31:00.000-07:00

Isn't she beautiful? Meet my niece Crystal (yes another niece are you shocked?) I have no shortage of beautiful nieces. I'm pretty sure they will keep me busy with photos for many years to come...and I LOVE it:).

The weather Saturday was a.m.a.z.i.n.g! It could not have been a better day for photographs. We started late enough to catch the perfect light. I have realized no amount of editing can recreate the look of the "magic hour" that flattering, golden light right before sunset, that makes everyone look tan and glowy:)

Hope you enjoy your sneak peek crystal...can't wait to see you graduate!

"ooh baby its a love thing...."

2011-04-14T13:50:00.000-07:00

I'm so lucky! I got to shoot a fabulous, fun, country, vintage wedding on Saturday. I even got to enjoy the wedding as a guest afterwards! My cousin Shana asked me if I could do some photos of her and her new hubby as well as some of the family and bridal party. I happily agreed as those are my favorites to shoot.

I couldn't resist getting a few of the decor and table settings. Everything was set up and designed by my extremely talented cousin Harmony. Her eye for design is amazing!

I was so impressed by the hand made paper flowers. She made 800 of them!

I love the time and effort that Shana put into her photos. She had a ton of fun props (the cool, faux barn doors were built by her brothers) and we had absolutely perfect locations to shoot at. Wedding photos are one of the important parts of a wedding and I think putting time and creativity into them absolutely shows in the photos. I love working with brides who have there own ideas to blend with mine:) Congratulations Tysen and Shana! I'm so happy for you two and honored you chose me to photograph your awesome wedding day!

laura

2011-04-07T18:18:00.000-07:00

There's just something about a first baby. It's all the "firsts" combined I guess....the first kick, the moment when you feel the little life you've been carrying move around inside of you. It's actually a little mind blowing! The first ultrasound, the first time you hear your little ones heartbeat, and then there's of course the BIG moment the first time you get to meet your little boy or girl. I LOVE that moment (by the way if any of you prego Mommy's are willing to allow me to capture your labor and delivery on camera I would love to give it a try. It is something I have been wanting to get into for awhile now).
Laura is having her first baby, a little boy. Her and Bryan are such a sweet couple and I'm so honored she chose me to capture this special time for her.

Cole and Telina

2011-04-04T21:10:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun on Saturday shooting one of my oldest friends, Telina and her fiance Cole's engagement photos. They are such a fun and laid back couple. I am so looking forward to shooting their wedding this summer. She has let me in on a little of her wedding plans and it sounds like it is going to be a super colorful and fun wedding. Can't wait....

We went down to the Edgefield McMenamins and we were not disappointed in the variety of places to shoot. It was sooo cold (poor Telina in her spring outfits) but we were lucky and the rain held off just until I started to shoot the last pose.

I just love the sweet unexpected moments. I tried to have Cole recreate his cute idea of handing Telina a flower later and the photo doesn't have the same emotion as this spontaneous moment.

birthday shoot

2011-03-12T20:42:00.000-08:00

Today my niece Madison is celebrating her birthday. She asked me for a photo shoot for her birthday gift and I happily accepted. She and her mom made tutus for all the girls and masquerade masks. We didn't have a specific theme in mind but last minute found some fairy wings for Mad. I think we ended up with a sort of woodland, fairy feel. The girls were a lot of fun and so cute! So here you are girls, your sneak peek....have fun staying up late and eating too much junk food:)

the birthday girl

Savannah

2011-02-27T21:41:00.000-08:00

Savannah's mom Willow had a specific photo she wanted of her sweet baby girl. Savannah's two older sisters had both had there photos taken in the same purple tutu holding onto a ballet bar. I think we accomplished it beautifully! What a sweet princess she was... I love how her eyes and skin just pop against the white backdrop. I have been loving learning how to use backdrops but I am getting excited for spring and summer outdoor shoots to!

when eight create

2011-02-24T14:27:00.000-08:00

Whoo-hoo! So me and my 7 sister-in-laws have started a blog! Between eight girls there should be new posts pretty often. We all have different talents and interests so it will vary from cooking , design, photography, sewing, quilting, organizing and everything in between. Please stop by and become a follower!

Bonnie, Sharlene, Donna, Barbara, Kathy, Lorinda and me. I just noticed Darla is missing from this photo but I think this is the only one I have of the girls together. Notice I'm the only brunette? ;)

heres the link.....wheneightcreate.blogspot.com

ruffle skirt

2011-02-19T16:40:00.000-08:00

I have been sewing up a storm lately! I have always thought that I would hate sewing since I don't have the patience for scrapbooking and other crafts, but it is so much funner and easier (kind of) than I thought it would be.Here is the ruffle skirt I made for Sylvie. It is the first thing I have attempted to sew on my own without my Moms help so it's kinda messed up if you look close but she doesn't care;)

click here for the tutorial on how to make it yourself. It is from the Grand Revival design blog.

one more...

2011-02-14T19:27:00.000-08:00

v-day post.

I saw this photo my cousin put on facebook and I had to share. Gordy and Sue, my Grandma and Grandpa. Still in love after so many years and now they get to celebrate valentines day (if that is celebrated in heaven;) with there true love Jesus! What an example of marriage theirs was. They both focused there all on Jesus and in turn were able to love each other and others selflessly.I saw how hard it was for my Grandma after my Grandpa passed every time I saw her she would ask me to "pray God will take me" she was ready so ready to go be with her Jesus.
I can only hope that If Collin lives to be a hundred I will live to be a hundred minus a day:)

sweet valentine

2011-02-14T13:54:00.000-08:00

Allison & Aubrey

2011-02-12T22:22:00.000-08:00

So here they are...sweet sisters:) I am loving the vintage, kinda 50's look of these photos...

These girls have grown so much since there last photo session! Just adorable. I love how you can see the bond and the differences in sisters even at such a young age. Little Aubrey was soo serious and big Sister Allison was all smiles and just chattered away:)

ordinary

2011-02-01T20:29:00.000-08:00

Welcome to a average, ordinary day in my life.Watch out people this could get exciting..seriously...this may be the most interesting blog post you've read all day...I'm not kidding..

setting the scene: Mom (that's me) wakes up to baby Sylvie attempting to climb out of her crib, she greets me with a gummy grin and a soaking wet diaper that needs changing.We head downstairs to find Kasen has helped himself to breakfast (a bag of mini marshmallows which is now strewn all over the kitchen)....

the cast of characters

Me Sylvie Kasen

After feeding the kids a nutritious breakfast...ok maybe a waffle with syrup isn't what some people would call nutritious but it sure beats marshmallows ( I think?). I tackle this...

the toy closet that gets organized and destroyed at least once a day...nowhere near as pretty as this one but we are in a rental right now and I don't feel like painting....at least that's my excuse for now.

I cleaned my fridge and than shined the glass shelves using my new favorite Norwex polishing rag. I LOVE it. I use it on every glass or metal surface on my house. It gets everything so clean and shiny with no chemicals, just water!

I also love a clean organized fridge! I forgot to take a before pic but I'm sure you can imagine a dirty, packed full of old leftovers, fridge. At least I hope you can.

YES it bothers me to that the crescent roll packages are not turned in the same direction!

gotta take a few minutes out of the day to prettify the house a bit:)

My dad made this chalkboard and it hangs right by my front door with hooks underneath of it for jackets and such. I am trying to memorize more bible verses so I write the ones I'm memorizing on it so I can glance at it through the day.

pretty new (fake) peony's from Target.

I chose not to photograph the vacuuming, cooking, cleaning, dishes, errands and laundry...I wasn't sure if you guys could handle all that excitement in one post.
Speaking of cooking try this for dinner tonight..I did and it was delicious. Actually anything on the Recipeaholic blog is good:)

I'm still here...

2011-01-30T21:20:00.000-08:00

Hi! It's been awhile.How have you been? I've missed hearing from you ;)
I have not been a lazy blogger and I have not been too busy to blog, I just have nothing to blog! My life has been pretty routine lately. Running after the kids, doing dishes, doing laundry, visiting friends, cleaning house, yeah that's pretty much it. I need a creativity kick-start like now!

Sylvie at eight months old. I took these photos a few weeks ago to test out the bright aqua paper backdrop:)

Carly

2011-01-16T00:03:00.000-08:00

My niece Carly is one! Wow does time fly , seems like just yesterday I did her newborn photos. She is a cutie pie little redhead and I love how her photos with my new backdrop turned out. It's a good thing to cause it rained ALL day today and there was no way we were doing photos outside:)

Cruz

2011-01-12T20:59:00.000-08:00

View the following photos at your own risk I will not be held responsible for your sudden urge to procreate...
Cruz was a angel during his shoot today. He didn't want to sleep for me but he was so well behaved (can a two week old be well behaved?) that I didn't mind one bit. I am loving that dark,spiky hair!

calle & lila

2011-01-06T23:58:00.000-08:00

Some photos from Calle and Lila's shoot a few days ago. I have been playing around with using backdrops.It's actually been good for me to shoot a little differently.While it's not a look I would use every shoot,I think I will occasionally start doing some themed shoots with backdrops just for fun. You can be super creative when you have total control over the background in a photo.

By the way I have noticed my blog design looks not great when viewed in Mozilla Firefox and looks totally fine when viewed in Internet Explorer? Can anyone give me some feedback on this? I would like to know what you all are seeing!

black & white Christmas

2010-12-30T16:35:00.000-08:00

now who would get my 2 year old red bull for Christmas?

not sure how that ugly, witch mug got in the photo?
to clarify I am talking about the coffee cup my Husband is holding;)

We had a fabulous and busy Christmas, spending time with both of our familys and enjoying all the blessings God has given us. Im feeling just the teeniest bit relieved all the busyness of the season is over though. All my decorations are down and life is getting back to normal.

and the winner is....

2010-12-15T18:30:00.000-08:00

Cachet won the "giving giveaway"!! Thank you to all who entered. I think I have the most giving friends/blogreaders ever! You guys are inspiring. May we all continue to give this Christmas season and always :)

Brielle is two!

2010-12-09T20:08:00.000-08:00

I have been taking Brielle's photos since she was just three months old. She is ADORABLE! Don't you think? I love her Moms idea of doing photos with her umbrella and rain boots..so cute I DIE...I have been watching a Rachel Zoe marathon if you can't tell:)

favorites from the mini-shoot

2010-12-06T23:07:00.000-08:00

The 2010 Artisan fair was a blast! There was a lot of great vendors and the new location was beautiful. I had so much fun with my "photo booth". It was a little more work than I had anticipated and towards closing time I had to turn people away (which I hate to do) but all in all it was a good day. I got some adorable clothes from Karen and a cute blanket from Sweet Pea Boutique. There was so much more I wanted to get but I was too busy to shop much!

winter wonderland mini-shoot

2010-11-30T00:31:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited for our annual Holiday Artisan Fair coming up this weekend! It is Friday the 3rd and Saturday the 4th. Friday from 5-8pm and Saturday 9-4pm. It is being held at Kurea Furnishings (we have moved from Firm Foundation School) 16320 Ne 202nd Ave Brush Prairie. You will not regret coming I promise! It is definitely not your average bazaar :)

I have decided instead of crafting this year I will stick with what I know and take photos (and shop of course:)
I will be doing mini-shoots (Saturday only). A mini-shoot includes a edited CD of all images to print where you choose (maybe for last minute Christmas cards?). I have decided to keep it simple with one backdrop with a "winter wonderland theme". I may be offering a card package along with your CD of photos but haven't figured out the details yet:)

Here's a sampling of how your photos could look!

*mini-shoot is $25.00
*max amount of people at one time is 3
*included is a high res CD of about 2-5 images

If your interested come ready! I think with this backdrop white, grays and blues along with denim would look great! Also I love accessories in photos so hats, scarves and mittens etc. would be so cute:)

a giving giveaway

2010-11-28T19:21:00.000-08:00

see I knew I could find another use for this sheet music! I love my new (to me) tree ornaments and my house all decked out for Christmas...I'm hoping to get photos soon so I can share with all of you.

So on to the giveaway. I will be giving away a full photo shoot! To use however you wish with a CD of all edited images.I won't be asking you to post this on facebook or your blog for extra entries because you can enter however many times you wish for each separate time you give. All you need to do is find a need and fill it. Then tell me about it in your comment. I don't care if you drop a quarter in the salvation army bucket, give away an hour of your time or buy Christmas gifts for a needy family. In fact if you don't want to tell me what you gave all you have to write in your comment is "I gave". I'm hoping to challenge you (and myself) to be on the lookout for needs that need to be filled:) I will be drawing the name on December 15th.

* a full photo shoot is a 1-1&1/2 hour shoot time and CD of about 25-50 images.

ashley

2010-11-26T17:43:00.000-08:00

I LOVE maternity shoots! Ashley's was no exception,I loved all her different looks and I think her styling really made her photos...

photos in the rain

2010-11-18T20:48:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not all these pictures were taken in the rain! It wouldn't be my first choice of days to shoot outside but when you have a large, grown family you kinda have to choose a day and stick with it! Fred and Lisa's family was so cooperative we had a ton of extra time to shoot individual family photos after getting the large family photo. Here's a few of my favs....

3 princess paperie

2010-11-15T20:03:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to show you a few samples of my sister, Tristi's fabulous work! She does beautiful custom Christmas cards (and invitations, announcements etc.). I love them because they are one of a kind and no one else will have the same holiday card as you! Here's the link to her blogspot (click here) where you can check out more of her work or you can e-mail her at tristiann81@yahoo.com . Pricing is super simple with just a one time fee and you can print your card anywhere you like....

Sorry I just had to sneak my cuties baby announcement in there:)

meghan

2010-11-13T16:16:00.000-08:00

Meghan was so fun to shoot I especially like her fly fishing photos! Gorgeous and she can fish...

Caden

2010-11-11T21:13:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile! Fall is always my busiest season so I have been up to my ears in editing, photo sessions and e-mails. I love it and I will love it when I can take a break this winter to and enjoy the holidays;) Can you believe Thanksgiving is almost here! Then Christmas right around the corner, yep that's right shockingly enough Christmas comes in December every year! It always manages to sneak up on me:) This year I am going to be prepared. I have already started my shopping and I am determined to be more organized about it this year rather then scrambling last minute for gifts I forgot....Anyways, sorry I will stop rambling about Christmas (geez it's not even thanksgiving yet!) and let you enjoy this two year old cutie Caden...

kacie

2010-10-22T10:03:00.000-07:00

Kacie's senior photos in downtown Ridgefield...such a cute little town especially in the fall! And such a cute girl:)

I just had to snap a few of her cute necklace! Kacie wants to be a photographer:)

hood river

2010-10-16T21:54:00.000-07:00

A little early for Sylvie's six month photos but I just loved this orchard up in Hood River and had to shoot some photos.

We had so much fun at Rasmussen Farms today. We went up to Hood River for the Harvest Festival and afterwords drove right up the road to the farm. The kids loved it and so did we. As I write this I am sipping a delicious, steaming mug of fresh apple cider and dreaming of recipes to use up all the apples that I bought today. I am on a health kick though so does anyone have any suggestions for a relatively healthy apple dessert?? Does that exist?

Kasen in the where's waldo corn maze

Family days are my favorite and they are few and far between lately! I'm loving this crisp sunny fall weather and the praising God for time together.

the rest

2010-10-14T16:15:00.000-07:00

I have never been more thankful to be married to a computer ~~nerd~~ genius! I had a day of absolute panic when my hard rive was dying and I thought I was going to lose a ton of photos. Thank God Collin was able to retrieve them successfully! Anyways now that I'm not in panic mode I have time to post the rest of Darien's senior shoot:)

Ally & Jaz

2010-10-12T22:36:00.000-07:00

Keep my nieces Ally and Jaz in your prayers as they are both at there YWAM (youth with a mission) bases preparing for there outreaches. They will be gone six months and are very missed around here! I'm sure they are having the adventure of a lifetime right now though and I'm just slightly jealous ;) Pray that they will be strong and courageous in sharing God's word and that they will feel God's presence and peace when homesickness hits.

Ally is in Hawaii

and Jaz is in Scotland....

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.

mark 16:15

Darien

2010-10-07T22:03:00.000-07:00

We roamed around the streets of Portland on Saturday doing Darien's senior photos.We found some great locations and I had a blast shooting her. Just look at those cheekbones how could the camera not love her! Unfortunately my computer is having issues and I can't post all the photos I want to right now (we got way too many!) so I'll try again tomorrow to share the rest of my fav's from her shoot.

Joel & Rochelle

2010-10-05T00:43:00.000-07:00

the boys with there cousin Gabrielle. We got to combine two shoots in one for this family :)

love that mischievous little face...

baby boy

2010-10-03T16:47:00.000-07:00

Love this little cutie! He is only three months old and usually three months is a harder age to photograph since there is not much that a three month old can do (sitting up etc.) but he was a little pro and his pictures turned out adorable!

Love this little look ;)

Nathan

2010-09-30T20:25:00.000-07:00

Amber stopped by to get a quick photo with her cousin Nathan :)

Amber

2010-09-24T00:28:00.000-07:00

I love how these turned out! Amber was a dream to photograph and we had a ton of great locations to explore....

leavenworth WA

2010-09-20T19:18:00.000-07:00

We took a much needed mini vacation this weekend and went to Leavenworth with my fam. We had a blast, ate too much, and explored the cute little town. My only complaint? It went by WAY too fast! A short weekend is not enough time! Especially since the drive there is almost 5 hours (more with stopping to feed and change babies). Maybe next time we will stay longer and actually get to enjoy all that Leavenworth has to offer.

Sylvie modeling for my sister Katie's etsy site (coming soon!)

that time...

2010-09-12T22:49:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again! Crisp cold air, vibrant fall leaves, the smell of pumpkin spice wafting from your local Starbucks, and of course for me family photos! Well at least the family photos part is true (oh and the pumpkin spice lattes). After giving up on Summer in WA I am so ready for fall weather but it looks like Summer has finally decided to show herself it's supposed to be in the eighties this week! Oh well I will choose to enjoy this sunshine because I know by the time February rolls around I will be desperate for it...Anyways here is a few of my favs from a family shoot I did last Saturday. So cute!

so sweet! There is a moment to treasure

This is what happens when you ask a 2 1/2 year old and a six month old to pose together:) These girls are the same age difference as my two kiddos. Lucky girls have a built in best friend for life!

Charlotte Ann

2010-09-10T11:38:00.000-07:00

Check out these chunky, precious, luscious, kissable, pinch-able, scrumptious baby cheeks...

So glad I got a chance to meet this precious little girl since her parents live all the way across the country in NH... Just wish there visit could have been longer!

melanie

2010-09-04T21:13:00.000-07:00

I've been busy with senior photos and loving it! Melanie wanted her photos to be a little edgier not the norm, she was clear that she didn't want flowery fields! I think we captured her personality well and I'm loving her hair! Somedays I dream of pink and purple highlights ;)

drew & sarah

2010-08-28T14:17:00.000-07:00

I loved shooting this wedding for Jessica Shepard Photography. I've always enjoyed going to weddings, I love seeing the different traditions, foods, families and the beautiful decor. This one did not disappoint it was held in McMinnville with the reception in an old rustic barn. The bride wore a simple summer dress of white eyelet and the groom looked dashing in his vintage style hat...

center piece details

Drew and his Mom

my favorite wedding guests to photograph are always the littlest ones:)

Alexandra

2010-08-23T22:24:00.000-07:00

I had the honor of shooting Alexandra's senior photos on Friday night. She has one of those faces the camera is obsessed with.I mean look at those cheekbones, and those eyes,and that hair! I think the right word is striking....

Trust me I could post many more....but I will keep them a surprise for her:)

Chalandra

2010-08-22T00:03:00.000-07:00

Chalandra has modeled railistyle.com clothing for me a few times...so when she called me to do her senior photos I was so excited! She is always fun to shoot...she has confidence which is crucial for great photos and poses. And she just knows how to pose:)

Mother Bellamente's Sugo

2010-08-19T21:01:00.000-07:00

Mother Bellamente's Sugo (sauce)

I found this recipe in our family cookbook. I made it for dinner tonight and loved it! It is about as authentic Italian as you can get. I love that someone took the time to write these ingredients down for the rest of us. I'm sure "Mother Bellamente" (my great grandmother Emma) had this recipe memorized (hence the fact that there is not measurements)
Here's how it is written in my Grandma's words.

"Mother used to use an eye of round roast-browned in olive oil and garlic, then she would add water to the kettle and simmer for many hours. She would then dice up the roast, add canned tomatoes, canned mushrooms (if she had them), a dash of wine, sugar, basil leaves and tomato paste. This would simmer for the rest of the afternoon. We would usually eat all of it for our dinner with our pasta..."

My Grandparents Sylvia and Gordon on there wedding day in New York.
aren't they a good looking couple?

Sarah

2010-08-18T17:04:00.000-07:00

Sarah is due in September with her fourth baby. I (and I'm sure her and Joel) cannot wait to meet there newest little one and to find out if it's a boy or girl! She almost has me thinking that maybe I won't find out with my next baby (almost)...

walker & hudson

2010-08-16T23:57:00.000-07:00

meet my cutie pie nephews....

Hudson

and Walker

love this!

check out that pose...Walker has actually done a little modeling, guess he's a pro now;)

announcements

2010-08-15T23:11:00.000-07:00

I am so in love with the beautiful birth announcements my super talented sister Tristi designed for me! I did this accordion style card and also a traditional 5x7 photo card. I only wish I had bought more of the accordion style than I did! They are a really heavy card stock with an art linen texture. The quality of the printing is awesome. I think these would make amazing Christmas cards or Graduation announcements also.They do cost a little more than a traditional card but I think sometimes the splurge is worth it. Call me old fashioned but in the days of facebook, e-vites, e-mail, e-books, e-everything its so nice to receive something that you can actually touch and feel via snail mail! Especially when it's something beautiful and of good quality.

here's the front of the card.The photos in the middle and the far right were taken by Jennifer O Donnell Photography. She did an awesome job on Sylvie's newborn photos.

the back

One of my fav photos! She was 6 weeks old in this. Someone asked me how I got her to pose like this, I think the stars must have been aligned just right because I can NEVER get babies to do this pose and I love it!

Samantha

2010-08-11T23:20:00.000-07:00

I LOVE doing senior photos. We had alot of fun shooting Sam's . I wish I would have had more fun with mine when I was a senior. I had my mom take them and while she did a good job I wish I would have had a few outfit changes, maybe gotten my hair done and taken some friends along. Sam brought her cousin (also mine) Brittany along who did her hair and makeup and made sure her hair looked perfect the whole time:)

So if your thinking about or needing to get your senior photos done my suggestion would be have fun with it! It is once in a lifetime experience and trust me your looks only go downhill from there..k that was a joke:) but still it is such a fun time in life and it only happens once.

dedication

2010-08-10T00:44:00.000-07:00

Sylvie wearing her beautiful outfit from Eden's Bouquet. These clothes are so beautiful, everywhere we went someone oohed and ahhed over her outfit.

I feel like I have been blogging alot about my sweet baby girl but I just can't help it she's so darn cute! This Sunday we had her dedicated to the Lord at our church. It was a sweet ceremony with a few other babies from the church...she cried almost the whole prayer through but that's okay :)

big brothers...

2010-08-02T20:51:00.000-07:00

Sylvs just hanging out on the couch...

loving life...

than this guy comes along...

but it's ok she loves him no matter what.

I absolutely love watching Sylvie when her big brother Kasen comes around. Her eye's light and she gets a big smile on her face. She loves when he talks to her and ~~manhandles~~ holds her. He tells her she is so pretty when she wears her cute flower headbands....yep big brothers are the best...and right now I miss mine.

purple

2010-07-25T23:22:00.000-07:00

I saw the I ♥ faces theme this week was purple and right away I thought of this photo of Sylvie at six weeks. This is my absolute favorite photo of her. It's on her birth announcements that my sister Tristi designed (I will be putting some photos of them up later this week) she did an awesome job and I LOVE how they turned out. Sylvie is wearing the adorable headband her Auntie Katie made for her...

Sweet Family...

2010-07-21T23:27:00.000-07:00

Latest family shoot....

I love the colors they chose! Willow said she normally plays it safe for family photos but this time decided she would do something fun. I'm glad she did. I love bright colors for photos. Don't ever be scared to do something fun and colorful when you are picking out clothing for photos. Unless of course you always wear black or something;)Your family photos should reflect your family.It's ok to have fun and relax with it. It's ok to let the kiddos clothes get dirty.In fact I encourage it! I love when clients are willing to lay in the dirt for me to get that great shot!

The kids were so well behaved especially considering we were being EATEN ALIVE by mosquito's. I counted almost 30 bites on me and we were outside about an hour. I am still itchy. I'm just hoping that sweet little baby Savannah was not bitten as much as I was!

liz & lester

2010-07-14T22:32:00.000-07:00

I always have a good time shooting Liz and Lester's family photos! Besides being one of my best customers I count Liz as one of my good friends. I'm really happy with the bright, almost beachy look of there family photos.

I can always count on getting fun and real photos of the two of them. They are that lucky kind of couple who can play together like a couple of teenagers;)

one day early and two years late

2010-07-06T20:43:00.000-07:00

This 4th me and my sisters decided to throw a big suprise party for our Mom. Somehow her 50th went by without a big party so we decided she was due for one on her 52nd! Her b-day is on the 5th (hence the one day early part of this post's title). The suprise didn't work out so well since ~~my Dad~~ someone doesn't know how to keep a secret. It was still alot of fun though! Maybe we will have to make it a 4th of July tradition.

part of the last minute-thrown together centerpieces

Sylvie all bundled up..It was cold and we had a little drizzle throughout the day. Which is all pretty normal for Washington but yet I'm still suprised and dissapointed every year when it rains on the 4th...

the birthday girl with her giant card made by the grandkids

Yum this flag cake was so good! I would make it again for a birthday or shower (not with the flag design though...unless I was feeling extremely patriotic).Of course it would be good though it is my sis-in-law Donna's recipe from the Stenersen cookbook.

Flag Cake

2 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, room temp.
3 Cups sugar
6 extra large eggs, room temp.
1 Cup sour cream, room temp.
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 Cups flour
1/3 Cup cornstarch
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

Icing
3 sticks unsalted butter, room temp.
18 oz (1 lb 2 oz) cream cheese, room temp.
12 oz powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

1 pt. blueberries
1 1/2 pts. raspberries

Cream butter and sugar until light. Add eggs 2 at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla. Sift flour, cornstarch, salt, and soda. Add to butter mixture until just combined. Pour into buttered, floured 18x13 jellyroll pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool. For Icing mix all ingredients until smooth.
Flag directions: Spread 1/2 the icing over cake. Outline the flag with a toothpick. Fill upper left corner with blueberries. Place two rows of raspberries across the top of the cake like a red stripe. Put remaining icing in a bag with a star tip. Pipe two rows of stars beneath the raspberries. Alternate rows of raspberries and icing until done. Pipe stars on top of blueberries.

Jasmine

2010-06-13T22:57:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe it has already been 9 months.September 11th 2009 my sweet neice Jasmine lost her boyfriend Nate. His family lost a wonderful brother, son and uncle. Everyone else lost a great friend. If you knew Nate it was hard not to like him. He was larger than life, always cracking jokes and he had an infectious laugh. He was one of those people that you just could not be bored being around.
Jasmine asked me the other day if I would do some photos of her at the location where he passed. I was unsure of how they would turn out as I had never been up to the spot and I was not sure of the look she was envisioning for the photos. As we pulled up to the tracks (he was hit by a passenger train) I could understand why she wanted to do photos there. It is a really pretty and peaceful location. I think it is somewhere she goes to remember Nate and it does not have the bad memories that it could have to her. Which I think is a gift from God maybe to help her and her family in healing from there grief.
I love you Jazz thanx for asking me to do these photos for you! You are beautiful inside and out!

She found this heart shaped penny near the tracks and had it made into a peice of jewlery...

Sunshine

2010-06-12T23:16:00.000-07:00

Quick get out and enjoy the sunshine while it lasts!! Today was absolutely beautiful in the Pacific Northwest. We have had a few really, yucky cold weeks and it feels like summer is finally here...hmm maybe I shouldn't say that quite yet I don't want to jinx it! Knock on wood...
I tried pack as much summer into one day as I could...

got outside and picked some gorgeous, yummy smelling flowers to fill my trusty ikea vase.

Does anyone know what kind of flowers they are? There growing on a bush outside my house...

Finally got the basil plant I have been wanting for awhile. Don't you love this planter? I found it at Home Depot!

And made a yummy berry smoothie. Taste's just like the five dollar ones:)

My favorite Smoothie

2 cups frozen berries (I used strawberries, raspberries and blueberries)
1 cup OJ
1 bannana
few scoops orange sherbert

(if I'm feeling really healthy I throw in a handful of fresh spinach) You can't even taste it!